We will be posting about some of the styles of dance being hosted December 29th/30th at the Scotiabank Dance Centre! Check out what our experts have to say…

This week, we have a Floor Barre Class taught by First Dance Vancouver Co-Owner Delphine Leroux. Don’t know what floor barre is? Let us fill you in!

FDV: What do participants do in your floor barre class?

DL: Participants lie on a mat or on the floor and do exercises based on ballet technique. Most of the class is follow along with a few exceptions here and there, and they flow into one another. The class is basically a ballet barre, done on the mat.

FDV: Where do the moves come from?

DL: The movements come from a traditional ballet class but are slightly modified to be on a horizontal plane. There are also more Pilates inspired exercises to warm up and strengthen key muscles that the body uses in a ballet class.

FDV: How is your Floor Barre class similar to other dance classes? How is it different?

DL: Like mentioned earlier, it’s based off ballet technique. So in a sense you use the same terminology and order of exercises. But because we are on the floor, gravity works in a different way: some times helping us and other times challenging us. It helps us see ballet from a different angle!

FDV: Who are your Floor Barre classes for?

DL: Anybody who is wanting to further their understanding of a ballet class or needing to improve their body’s strength and awareness. It’s also ideal for somebody who’s just starting ballet because it really breaks down where the focus should be anatomically and helps them access muscles they didn’t even know they had!

FDV: What reservations do people express about taking a floor classes and what can you say to calm those fears?

DL: Often people feel like because they’ve never taken a ballet class, they can’t come to a floor barre. But it a silly misconception! Like mentioned above, floor barres are ideal for beginners and also for people who are simply looking to get their butt back into shape!

Check out First Dance Vancouver’s Floor Barre Class, this Tuesday December 30th from 5-6pm at the Scotiabank Dance Centre!